Chapter 183

Mind Over Matter Part 2

As Finn pulled me up to my feet, I still couldn't help but stare at him in amazement, wondering whether he was a phantom from my memories or his spirit actually here. Either way, I couldn't speak.

The woman in black and green remained silent as she looked across to Finn. "Well now, I didn't expect to see you here," she said, her smile appearing to radiate with hidden malice. "What brings you here, sir?"

"I came here to save my kid," Finn spoke as he bore a malice-hidden smile matching hers. "Apparently, there's a certain someone who's been causing plenty of grief and trouble for my kid, so naturally, I came to make sure he's safe."

"Oh? You're not referring to me, are you?" the woman asked innocently. "I was only trying to help him, that's all."

"You've got a funny way of showing it," Finn spoke. "In fact, I'd say your way of helping him is less than productive, and I disapprove of it. It makes me sick to see a hussy such as you get on her high horse by forcing someone to relieve their past trauma."So, if you don't mind, I think it's time that I take my son for some man-to-man talk."

This made a visible vein appear on the woman's forehead as her eyes narrowed in a glare. "That won't be necessary, Old Man," she sneered. "We don't need your help anymore."

"And I say tough luck." countered Finn. "Thanks to you, you stirred up my memory, so now you're stuck with me whether you like it or not." He turned towards me. "Say, Willy, how's about we go somewhere a bit more private so that we can talk?"

He wrapped his arm around me and brought up his hand, putting his thumb and middle finger together.

"No! Wait! Stop!" the woman suddenly snapped as she tried to get over to us.

But by then, Finn snapped his fingers, and in a split second, we were suddenly transported to a familiar location, which turned out to be Sid's food stand, sitting underneath on the counter.

"Well, we're here, Willy," said Finn. "Maybe now we can get some peace and quiet."

"But, Finn, how are you...?" I began to speak before trailing off. "I mean, y-you're dead, aren't you?"

"Yes, but at the same time, I'm not," replied Finn. "But never mind me. You almost made a pretty bad decision."

I turned away from him while staring at the counter, not unsure of what to say. Then, I worked up the nerve to ask Finn a question.

"Finn, listen. What would you do if you obtain a power that makes you twice as strong to the point of making you unstoppable despite the risks involved? I mean, you should reap the benefits, and it's worth the risk, right?"

"Well, that would have to depend on the risks involving that power, Willy," said Finn. "And from the way things are now, I'm to assume that power has to do with that girl back there, right?"

All I could do was silently nod, feeling a twang of guilt.

Finn then touched my shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Hey. It's okay. I went through the same thing when I was your age."

"Not exactly," I couldn't help but scoff. "You have no idea what I've gone through."

"And you're right. I don't know," replied Finn. "But I can understand what it's like to question whether or not the power you possess should be used even to the point of self-harm. Personally, I wanted more than anything to use my power to protect those I love, even if it meant hurting myself to do it. However, I was quick to realize that you could only do so much on your own with that kind of power, and when it comes to that thing, I say you don't need it. You're strong enough on your own."

I looked up towards Finn out of surprise, my eyes meeting his own.

"First of all, that power you've been using not only is dangerous to you as well as those around you, but it's also not even your own power," went on Finn. "And if you think getting rid of it will make you weaker, you're mistaken. You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. I've seen this for myself. No matter how tough things got when you were training or fighting, you refused to give up and believed in yourself and your ability, and I say that makes you strong enough and then some."

"You... you really think that?" I murmured.

"Of course I do," said Finn. "One of the greatest powers that you can have is believing and having faith in yourself. Believe in your own potential. Believe in your own power. And most importantly, believe in yourself, for you are an incredible and special person. Once you understand this, no limit or doubt can hold you down.

At that moment, the woman appeared.

"I must admit, that's a pretty little speech you gave, Old Man," she spoke with scorn. "But ask yourself, what good is it? You're still facing defamation by the public. You let yourself get beaten by Don Ghira back in Naoko. You let yourself get beaten by Asuma back on Tenrou Island. And most of all, you let Silver Beard get the drop on you by not only letting him experiment on you but also letting him take your parents away from you."

"That's not the point I'm trying to make here," Finn spoke firmly. "And I think it's time I show you what I mean."

At that moment, the scenery around me changed again. Sid's stand and the alleyway disappeared and were replaced with another scene from my memories.

It was when Aquadia disappeared when I was a child, and I was lying on the floor of the cave, curled up into a ball and crying. As I did, I was holding onto the necklace she had made for me.

The woman let out a light chuckle in amusement. "This is what you wanted to show?" she asked Finn.

"Just give it a minute," said Finn. "Watch him give up."

I didn't say anything as I continued to watch my younger self cry. Then, the child's chest began to glow brightly in a warm blue light. That light was coming from the necklace that he wore. The younger me took off the necklace and looked at it as it continued to shine, appearing to be caught off guard. Eventually, the glow faded away, and when it did, the little me stood up and wiped his tears.

"I'm gonna find you, Mama! I don't care how long it takes! If you're still out there somewhere, I'm gonna find you! I promise! I won't give up hope!"

The boy then took off running, setting off on his search.

The scene then changed into another memory, one of when I was training with Finn. The two of us were sparring together while Tu Chi supervised us. My child self was trying his best to land a blow on Finn, but he couldn't land a single hit. Meanwhile, Finn landed one hit after the other on the poor boy, not giving him an inch to breathe. Eventually, my child self was too exhausted to continue and collapsed to the ground, appearing unconscious. Now concerned, Finn was about to go over to help him, but Tu Chi raised her staff, preventing him. The child me struggled as he slowly pushed himself up until he finally managed to get back up, and while gasping and heaving, he stood his ground.

"Can you still go on, Willy?" asked Tu Chi.

"Yes, Master!" my child myself spoke with determination. "I can keep going! There's no way I'm giving up! Not until I grow strong enough! So, let's keep going! I can take a break later!"

Tu Chi then smiled. "Very well then," she said.

Finn and I faced each other once again, each one of us conjuring a sword made of water. Then, the two of us both charged at each other swinging our blades as the memory faded away into the darkness.

Finn then reappeared next to me. "And that was only the beginning," he said. "Your determination has shone even through the toughest of times and has made you stronger, and thanks to that, you saved and changed countless lives."

At that moment, flashbacks began pouring into my head. Flashbacks of my previous battles of when I fought with everything I had to protect those who needed me. Whether my opponent was the demon back in Osia, King Faust from Edolas, Asuma of Grimoire Heart, and even Hades, I didn't give in no matter what I did. And to add to that, I also remember saving and helping lots of people, even those who didn't need it.

The woman in black and green then returned, holding me by the cheek with her hand.

"I won't argue that the boy's done lots of good deeds, but how was he repaid?" she spoke in a spiteful demeanor. "He has no status, no real friends, no actual family, and no trust in anyone. None that is except for me."

At that moment, Finn grabbed the woman's hand on my face and threw it away while holding me with his other arm, shielding me from her. "That's where you're wrong," he said. "I'd say he's got all of those things and then some."

More flashbacks began flooding into my mind. This time they were of all the friends and allies I've made over the course of my life. Finn, Tu Chi, and Sieri from Osia, Kuromen from Edolas, Jura the Wizard Saint, Éclair and Momon, and even Jade. I also saw the people of Fairy Tail, the people who gave me a place to belong even when I didn't have one to call my own. I even remembered the Strauss siblings, the first friends I've ever made, but the one person who appeared the most out of all the others was Mira. Her stubborn attitude as a teen, the kind person I came to know today, and most especially, the times where she comforted me whenever I was at my lowest.

Remembering those memories filled me with confidence and courage as I stood bravely against the woman in green and black.

"Finn's right! I'm not alone! I never was, and I never will be again!" I spoke bravely. "And I'm not about to give up who I am just to lose myself to the toxin and the likes of a loose woman like you!"

The woman was now glaring with fury. "You little fool! You dare to insult and reject me?!" she snarled crossly.

"Damn straight, I do!" I snarled back. "And I'm only going to tell you this last time! Get out of my body, or else I'll make you!"

"You'll "make me?" Where do you think we are, you foolish boy?" the woman countered. "I've taken root inside of you from your mind to your body and soul, and you have no chance of winning, much less driving me out! You're nothing! A weakling with no hope of surviving in the world without me!"

"You sure about that?" I challenged as I clenched my fists. "I'm stronger than you think I am!"

I launched myself straight at her, ready to fight once again, and swung with a right punch aiming for her head, only to be met with a punch from the woman who mimicked the same action. However, I quickly followed up with a roundhouse kick knocking her hand away, and then swung with another leg nailing her at the side, making her stumble. Next, I punched my fists together making them radiate with my magic, pounced at her while turning them into blades, and sliced them in an X, forcing the woman to leap back out of the way just in time. She then shot toward me and attacked using multiple Iron Fists spells from both hands, and several Talon kicks. However, I was able to parry, block, and counter them all with ease while sneaking a couple of hits at her.

The two of us then swung at each other, our fists colliding with incredible power creating a huge shockwave. But with a mighty heave, I was able to overpower her with ease, sending her flying across the landscape. The woman skidded a bit, trying to stop herself, and even jumped to ease her momentum until she finally came to a halt. She let out a roar of anger as she chuffed her cheeks and unleashed a breath attack. This time, I jumped into the air straight towards her, going over the attack while clenching my fists bringing them over my head. Then, as she looked up towards me in surprise, I swung them down, intending to use Geyser Wall to attack. But as I was about to connect, the ground below her suddenly became liquid as the woman sank into it, disappearing from view.

As I landed back on the ground while canceling my spell, I quickly glanced around, wondering where she could have gone. Suddenly, something wrapped around both of my arms, my feet, and even my hips and neck. Upon inspection, I was once again bound by tendrils of ooze. Then, as I struggled to get free, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my body, and the woman's face get close to my ear as she whispered in a malevolent and tempting voice.

"There's no point in struggling. Your body and soul belong to me, so why don't you give up now?"

In response, I struggled even harder trying to get free, feeling the tendrils get tighter around my body, however, I refused to give in. While tensing my muscles, letting my magic aura course through my body as I concentrated, focusing all my willpower into every fiber of my body. Then, while letting out a mighty yell, my body exploded in blue as the tendrils and the woman blew off of me. As I turned around to face her, her eyes were wide with disbelief while her body was starting to deteriorate, half of it being her normal form while the other half was a sticky, gooey black substance that looked like it was melting.

"I-Impossible! You shouldn't be able to resist me!" she spoke while wincing in pain. "Where did all of this power come from?!"

"The way I see it, other than having you inside of me, I got you figured out," I spoke while pointing at her. "You feed on negative emotions. That's how you've been feeding me power by treating them like a trigger, but now things are different. Now that I know what you are, I know how to deal with you!"

I punched my fists together, making them explode with my magic in the form of water, shot forward using my speed to get up close to her, and clocked her square in the face with a punch making her head whip to the side. I then attacked with another punch to the jaw, a kick to the stomach, three punches to the middle of her chest, and a mighty uppercut to her chin, sending her flying and tumbling to the ground.

The woman struggled to her feet, now looking less human and more like the black gooey substance than before. As I walked towards her, she looked up, and upon seeing me, her face filled with terror as she tried scooting away from me.

"N-No! Wait! Please! You don't have to do this! Think this through for a minute!" she pleaded. "If you let me stay in here, I promise to dial it back on the power! We could work something out!"

"It's a little late for the bargaining stage," I spoke coldly. "No matter how much you beg, nothing's going to save you from me."

"B-But listen to me! I only want to help you! Be with you!" the woman continued to plead. "Please! Give me another chance!"

I stayed silent, staring at this creature for a good long pause. Then, I held out my hand, offering it to her. At first, the girl was surprised, but then a smile crossed her face as she grabbed my hand. She seemed happy, but then I squeezed her hand hard, making sure I had a good grip on it, and with a spin and a heave, I threw her up into the air, sending her way up high.

"Hey! What the hell doing?!" the woman screamed.

"Sorry, but I've had enough of your begging!" I yelled. "As the landlady would say back at the apartments, consider yourself evicted!"

I clenched my fist, summoning up every ounce of magic power I could muster. My fist exploded with water and grew large in seconds, transforming into a large shark that roared, and with a swing of my fist, I unleashed it, sending it straight towards where I threw the girl. The shark shot through the air, continuing until it hit its mark, carrying the woman away until it disappeared out of sight. A few seconds had passed until a tremendous explosion of water burst ripped out from above, causing the entire area to shake. Water rained down everywhere, and as it did, the entire space around me began to run, the black color starting to drain away while being replaced with blue. Soon, the entire landscape was now a blank space colored in blue.

At that moment, Finn reappeared in front of me, smiling proudly. "You did it, Willy. Just like I thought you would," he said.

As soon as I saw him, I quickly ran over to him and met him in a hug, one that I need for such a long time. As I held him, I could feel myself start to cry a little out of joy, feeling my heart overwhelmed with joy.

"Thank you, Finn. For everything," I spoke gratefully. "I could've never have done it without you setting me straight."

"Happy to help, Willy. After all, what are Dads for?" replied the man, as he returned the hug. "I'll always be here if you need me. Never forget that."

That last thing I felt was a warm and comforting sensation as my vision turned blue.

NO POV

Back in the outside world, quite a bit of time had passed, and Tu Chi was still keeping watch over Willy as he slept inside his bubble of water. So far, nothing had happened since she had cast the spell, and she couldn't help but start to get a bit worried. Then, Willy began to stir, and then his eyes snapped open. But when they did, his body went rigid for a split second, and his face turned a bit green, and his cheeks puffed up. He then grabbed his throat as if he was choking while he writhed in agony. Immediately, the spell was canceled, the bubble of water popping and spilling everywhere on the ground, leaving Willy lying on the ground on his back, still writhing.

Tu-Chi quickly rushed over to the boy. "Willy! Can you hear me?!" she spoke with concern. "Please talk to me!"

Willy could only continue to writhe in agony, letting out croaking noises, which made her even more worried.

"Did he fail?! Is the toxin taking over his body?!" she thought to herself, thinking the worst-case scenario. "If that's the case... then it was too much for him, and... I'll have to..."

But thankfully, she had no reason to take any action. For right then, Willy flipped over onto his hands and knees, his cheeks swelling up even more. Finally, unable to keep it in anymore, his mouth exploded with black gunk, catching even someone like Tu Chi by surprise. Willy continued to throw up black gunk enough to make a large puddle of it on the ground. This went on for a couple of minutes until finally, Willy was able to stop, not able to throw up anymore.

"Willy, are you all right?" Tu Chi asked again as she placed a hand on his back. "Please answer."

At first, Willy was silent, gasping for breath, but after a few seconds, he answered with a shaky thumbs-up, smiling with pride.

"Yeah. I'm okay," he answered weakly. "I guess... this means I passed the trial then."

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